Is this blasphemy?

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Isn’t this article title blasphemy?
Who in their right heart would choose this concept for an article title?
 
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Katie1723:
I am curious…why do you think it is??

~ Kathy ~
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Since when did we start putting Jesus to work? The wording is callous. The front page photo coupled with the title do more than suggest belittlement.

Don’t say that I am being too literal.

The title should read - Let’s get to work for Jesus

Since when did the Eucharist become a tool in the box? Blasphemy.
 
Did you simply look at the cover and make a decision or did you read the article that the title page represents and then make your decision?

Better to read the article first then make decisions. The link is provided below.
For those who would not have the time to read the full article, I think the essence is catured in the following parpagraph:

***"****The Eucharist, whether seen as Holy Communion or as the Mass, can become “a kind of product created for individual spiritual customers,” says Gabe Huck, a veteran liturgist and former director of Liturgy Training Publications. “It’s supposed to have a transforming effect on us,” he says, “so that we leave church determined to do something. We should be seeing the world in a different way and have different priorities because of the Eucharist. It should affect what we do with our time, how we spend our money, how we look for a job, how we vote.”

***I don’t see any blasphemy there.

**Let’s put the Eucharist to work

*****With a name like “Communion,” it seems obvious that Eucharist shouldn’t be a private experience. Robert J. McClory takes a look at parishes living out Jesus’ command to “do this in memory of me.”

The rest of the article is here: uscatholic.org/2005/07/cov0507.htm***
 
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Fergal:
Did you simply look at the cover and make a decision or did you read the article that the title page represents and then make your decision?

Better to read the article first then make decisions.
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It is true that the article contains some good insights and that we should ‘Never judge a book by it’s cover’ . Lets not lose sight of the fact that we live in a time in which people multitask and unfortunately have little more attention span than a minute or two. Even though I know very little about the advertising industry I do know that magazine covers sell. What we need to consider is what this magazine is selling. In the instant someone looks what message are they getting?
What is this magazine cover selling?
If Jesus is being sold as a lunch/tool box instrument, I am not buying.
Where is the honor and glory due to God? It is not on that US Catholic magazine cover.
When did we lose sight of the fact that God gave us tools to be of service to Him?
St. Benedict outlines in his rules the following instruments to win merit from God.
(1) In the first place to love the Lord God with the whole heart, the whole soul, the whole strength…
(2) Then, one’s neighbor as one’s self (cf Mt 22:37-39; Mk 12:30-31; Lk 10:27).
(3) Then, not to kill…
(4) Not to commit adultery…
(5) Not to steal…
(6) Not to covet (cf Rom 13:9).
(7) Not to bear false witness (cf Mt 19:18; Mk 10:19; Lk 18:20).
(8) To honor all men (cf 1 Pt 2:17).
(9) And what one would not have done to himself, not to do to another (cf Tob 4:16; Mt 7:12; Lk 6:31).
(10) To deny one’s self in order to follow Christ (cf Mt 16:24; Lk 9:23).
(11) To chastise the body (cf 1 Cor 9:27).
(12) Not to seek after pleasures.
(13) To love fasting.
(14) To relieve the poor.
(15) To clothe the naked…
(16) To visit the sick (cf Mt 25:36).
(17) To bury the dead.
(18) To help in trouble.
(19) To console the sorrowing.
(20) To hold one’s self aloof from worldly ways.
(21) To prefer nothing to the love of Christ.
(22) Not to give way to anger.
(23) Not to foster a desire for revenge.
(24) Not to entertain deceit in the heart.
(25) Not to make a false peace.
(26) Not to forsake charity.
(27) Not to swear, lest perchance one swear falsely.
(28) To speak the truth with heart and tongue.
(29) Not to return evil for evil (cf 1 Thes 5:15; 1 Pt 3:9).
(30) To do no injury, yea, even patiently to bear the injury done us.
(31) To love one’s enemies (cf Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27).
(32) Not to curse them that curse us, but rather to bless them.
(33) To bear persecution for justice sake (cf Mt 5:10).
(34) Not to be proud…
(35) Not to be given to wine (cf Ti 1:7; 1 Tm 3:3).
(36) Not to be a great eater.
(37) Not to be drowsy.
(38) Not to be slothful (cf Rom 12:11).
(39) Not to be a murmurer.
(40) Not to be a detractor.
(41) To put one’s trust in God.
(42) To refer what good one sees in himself, not to self, but to God.
(43) But as to any evil in himself, let him be convinced that it is his own and charge it to himself.
(44) To fear the day of judgment.
(45) To be in dread of hell.
(46) To desire eternal life with all spiritual longing.
(47) To keep death before one’s eyes daily.
(48) To keep a constant watch over the actions of our life.
(49) To hold as certain that God sees us everywhere.
(50) To dash at once against Christ the evil thoughts which rise in one’s heart.
(51) And to disclose them to our spiritual father.
(52) To guard one’s tongue against bad and wicked speech.
(53) Not to love much speaking.
(54) Not to speak useless words and such as provoke laughter.
(55) Not to love much or boisterous laughter.
(56) To listen willingly to holy reading.
(57) To apply one’s self often to prayer.
(58) To confess one’s past sins to God daily in prayer with sighs and tears, and to amend them for the future.
(59) Not to fulfil the desires of the flesh (cf Gal 5:16).
(60) To hate one’s own will.
(61) To obey the commands of the Abbot in all things, even though he himself (which Heaven forbid) act otherwise, mindful of that precept of the Lord: “What they say, do ye; what they do, do ye not” (Mt 23:3).
(62) Not to desire to be called holy before one is; but to be holy first, that one may be truly so called.
(63) To fulfil daily the commandments of God by works.
(64) To love chastity.
(65) To hate no one.
(66) Not to be jealous; not to entertain envy.
(67) Not to love strife.
(68) Not to love pride.
(69) To honor the aged.
(70) To love the younger.
(71) To pray for one’s enemies in the love of Christ.
(72) To make peace with an adversary before the setting of the sun.
(73) And never to despair of God’s mercy.

Behold, these are the instruments of the spiritual art, which, if they have been applied without ceasing day and night and approved on judgment day, will merit for us from the Lord that reward which He hath promised: “The eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1 Cor 2:9). But the workshop in which we perform all these works with diligence is the enclosure of the monastery, and stability in the community.

These are the tools/graces He gives us to freely use.
Jesus is not the lunch/tool box item up for grabs.
 
My goodness!! You certainly are vociferous this morning. Relax…take it easy…Didn’t mean to offend you my dear!
But really, I don’t think it would be considered blasphemy at all.
~ Kathy ~
 
Dear friend

The intent of the article shows that it is not blasphemy. The front cover may be easily misinterpretated and it is a clumsy way of drawing people to their Eucharistic Vocations whatever their state in life is, but it is not blasphemous.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
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Katie1723:
My goodness!! You certainly are vociferous this morning. Relax…take it easy…Didn’t mean to offend you my dear!
But really, I don’t think it would be considered blasphemy at all.
~ Kathy ~
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Blasphemy, by reason of the significance of the words with which it is expressed, may be of three kinds.

  1. *]It is heretical when the insult to God involves a declaration that is against faith, as in the assertion: “God is cruel and unjust” or “The noblest work of man is God”.
    *]It is imprecatory when it would cry a malediction upon the Supreme Being as when one would say: “Away with God”.
    *]It is simply contumacious when it is wholly made up of contempt of, or indignation towards, God, as in the blasphemy of Julian the Apostate: “Thou has conquered, O Galilaean”.

    Blasphemy may be (1) either direct, as when the one blaspheming formally intends to dishonour the Divinity, or (2) indirect, as when without such intention blasphemous words are used with advertence to their import.

    About Blasphemy from New Advent newadvent.org/cathen/02595a.htm
 
I think if hosts were used and a chalice, then perhaps you could call it blasphemy. And perhaps they SPECIFICALLY did not use hosts and a chalice so that they would not appear degrading anything. What they have shown is a hunk of bread (not the right matter for communion) and a “glass” of wine (not the right recepticle). So perhaps they were innocently using the analagous bread and wine as a representation to make their point in the article (which you agreed had some good points).
 
Donna P:
I think if hosts were used and a chalice, then perhaps you could call it blasphemy. And perhaps they SPECIFICALLY did not use hosts and a chalice so that they would not appear degrading anything. What they have shown is a hunk of bread (not the right matter for communion) and a “glass” of wine (not the right recepticle). So perhaps they were innocently using the analagous bread and wine as a representation to make their point in the article (which you agreed had some good points).
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Again,
Look at the title.
Let’s Put the Eucharist to Work
Since when do WE have authority to put Jesus to work or even suggest it! The title places man above God and that is blasphemy. WE have only to love, honor and obey God.

If WE are blessed, WE will work and earn the merit of God’s presence someday. We are suppose to toil day and night with the tools and graces God bestows on us.
The title of the magazine should read
Let US work for God!
 
I’ve no idea if it’s blasphemous, but I’ve come to think that US Catholic is just idiotic, tiresomely so. They had an columnist a while back who suggested that the cardinals should agree, during the next conclave (before HHJPII died), that the next pope HAD to retire at the same age as other bishops. It revealed an appalling ignorance of Catholic teaching and law on his part. I was embarassed for him.
 
I too had a 1 year subscription to US Catholic and after a few issues found it to have a very liberal slant especially in promoting its feminist agenda.

The article in question shows their liberal skew and their misinterpretation of the purpose of the Mass and the Eucharist. The Mass is how we worship God. Yes, it is meant to transform us but with an internal transformation not a direct external one. The Eucharist is to bring us to holiness. It is to help us spiritually by filling us with holiness that will manifest itself externally through good works done out of our love for God. The focus of the Mass is on the re-presented sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the perfect offering to God the father. We are not to have banners and our mere human offerings around the altar that distract us from the worship of God and from allowing God’s grace to strengthen our personal holiness. These things are not only distractions but some are liturgical abuses.

Yes, we are called to a communal participation in Mass. It is in worshiping God not only with those in the pews, but with the communion of saints and the angels, with the whole mystical body of Christ. The Church has rules on how we can and cannot participate in the Mass. For one, the congregation is not to gather around the altar in the sanctuary. The sanctuary is only for the priest and the ministers and servers.

Don’t get me wrong. It is great to have such tremendous evolvement in social justice projects. It is wonderful to be able to boast of great numbers of parishioners in attendance at Mass on Sunday and in faith sharing groups. But what good is it if these things are not being done from a foundation of holiness and an intimate relationship with God? These externals can also be found in many Protestant churches, mostly because they put on a good “show” on Sundays not necessarily because they are filled with the fire of God’s love and certainly not form the grace received from the worship of God through Mass and the Eucharist.

The article also dismisses the pope’s call for more Eucharistic adoration. Through love and adoration of the Eucharist we open ourselves to the transforming power of the Eucharist and the ability to have a relationship with God.

The parishes in this article seem to have good intentions, but their end does not justify their means. They are opening themselves up to liturgical abuses by taking the focus of the Mass off the Eucharist and putting it on good works.

I don’t know if the cover picture is blasphemy, but it certainly shows that they are trying to turn the focus from the true meaning of the Eucharist and towards the secular activism that may lessen our guilt, but does little to strengthen our relationship with God.
 
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